.c2 "Coming out of my cage, and I've been doing just fine. Gotta, gotta be down, 'cause I want it all." - The Killers
High heels clicked on the gruff, small stage, the dim lights revealing a dark-haired female. She seemed to be in her early twenties, but she knew all too well that looks could be deceiving. She elegantly brushed a few locks of hair from her face, as her hand wrapped about the microphone that had been readied; Waiting for her to arrive. Her nails pressed against her palm, the show was starting. Breathing in deeply, she gathered all oxygen she could from the cigarette smoke clouding her sight in the bar she called her home.
"Welcome, everyone~", she said, eying those she could see, "You may, or may not know me, but I am Janyne, your hostess and entertainer for tonight." she continued, her voice echoing off the finely tuned speakers, carefully hidden throughout the room. "If you're new, you might not be used to my way of entertaining, but I do hope you'll appreciate it, and perhaps even enjoy it." She took a few paces back, unhooked the microphone from its stand and held her dress with her free hand. The spotlights focused on her as her voice set in for a song she'd carefully adapted to her own capabilities after hearing it on the radio.
If I lay here,
if I just lay here,
would you lie with me, and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told,
before we get too old,
show me a garden that's bursting into life.
Her voice stretched out syllables as the familiar lines danced over her tongue, leaving their impressions on the public in front of her. After what seemed to be mere seconds, her voice faded and the song was already over. For those that knew her, it was easily read in her eyes that the song hadn't covered the woman's emotions; To those that didn't, she remained the biggest mystery they'd encountered so far.
Her audience seemed mesmerised and she couldn't help but smile, knowing she'd pulled it off the way she wanted; They'd listen to her tonight.
"We all fall in love sooner or later, all in our own way - Expectedly or unexpectedly, prepared or unprepared..." she said, glancing over the crowd. A mostly male crowd, she noticed, but it was all the same to her. As long as they were enjoying themselves, her night would be wonderful. She continued, "Sadly, unrequited love lingers in the hearts of many and there is a story I'd like to tell you about a girl with such feelings..." Her eyes met the crowd, seeking approval. The vibe spoke a thousand words and she smiled as the crowd urged her to go on, the customers not yet willing to let go of the sound of her voice.
During her tale, a regular sat down at the bar. He went by the name of Jynx and he had been one of Janyne's favourite customers since the very first time he'd set foot in the place since she'd been there. She didn't know all too much about him, except that he was extremely knowledgeable and wiser than most that came to listen to her. He came for her especially, too, to listen to her voice over and over again, whether singing or telling stories of those she'd met during her days of refuge in this bar. He either came to lose himself and forget about the daily worries in his life, or he had serious business with someone and the bar was the perfect location to get it over and done with.
From his position, he saw spotlights accentuating her vibrant, 'violent' as he called them, violet eyes even more than her already intense make-up did; Light scattered on her dress, shimmering with even the slightest movement of her body. ...Or so he'd told her once, when awaiting her near the back of the establishment, after her show for that night. She appreciated his presence, because he'd listen to her when she needed to talk and she loved him dearly for it. Her eyes always searched his during a show, but would only meet them once when found. After that, her attention was diverted from him until the show was over.
He'd ordered a drink and the lively bartender was immediately fulfilling his wishes; She was the most cheerful, sympathetic creature you could ever meet and if you did meet her, you'd feel blessed. She smelled of blue raspberries and tangerines, and her laugh and smile would, together with the fragrance, reside inside your memory forever. She had requested him to read her palm. Everyone always came to him for advice, and he could only do as she pleased. He'd be there for a while, Janyne knew, or at least, until she was finished.
Minutes later, a new tone in the woman's voice broke the tension that'd been built up during her story. She abruptly ended it with a few simple words, "...The poor thing. Hope she'll fall for someone else someday." and winked, "Actually, she already has." she continued, smiling. "I hope you're enjoying yourselves tonight in our fine bar, miss Foxy is away on a business trip tonight, but our darling Kiwi is ready to take your orders in case any of you are in need of a refill." she paused, all the while smiling, hoping the guests would stay and spend some more money. That's how her world would keep itself spinning, after all. With a warm, "Good evening, I'll be free for a chat in about half an hour." she left the stage and walked off to the back, chuckling inwardly as she could feel the eyes of various guests follow the motion her dress made around her curves as she exited to the back.
Her room, located at the far end of the hallway was small, but she deemed it just right for the person life had made her into. She'd had her fair share of shit to deal with and she hadn't always chosen the right path, but always the one that seemed 'best' at the time. Sadly, that didn't too frequently work out in her favour, but she had accepted that and had dealt with it accordingly. That was also how she had eventually found herself here, at this bar, as a refuge. She loved the place so much she thought she'd never leave, if she was allowed to stay.
Pushing open the door to her room, she let out a deep sigh. She wasn't exactly feeling as wonderful as her audience had perceived her, as today had been seven years since. He would've been fourteen by now. She smiled at the thought, but the smile faded into a grimace soon after and wished she could've just discarded all her memories the moment she'd stepped through the doors of the bar for the very first time.
She rummaged through her small and uncluttered -nearly empty, in fact- closet for a few moments before deeming something worthy enough to pull it out. She changed into something... Well, more practical was probably the best term; More comfortable certainly wasn't. For all she cared she could just go back to the bar in sloppy trousers and a tank-top, but the customers liked this more.
Draping her most beautiful dress over the lone chair that rested in front of a worn, but certainly cherished vanity table, she put on a long, ruffled skirt and a proper top to go with it. She sat down for a split second, just to check her hair and make-up and then hurriedly exited again, rushing back into the bar as fast as she could.
Foxy hadn't told her she'd be out for the night, but Janyne watched everything that could possibly be of interest closely. Anything that was of mild concern she usually noticed and a remarkable thing like Foxy exiting the bar halfway through one of Janyne's performances was certainly deemed unusual enough. All the more reason to keep a good, watchful eye on the bar during her boss' unannounced absence.
There wouldn't be much time to chat with customers when Foxy was out and about, but she did notice one remarkable visitor. A woman, dressed in a suit, with dazzling pink eyes, had left. A pity, she would've liked a chat with such a mysterious guest, but there were other, more urgent matters at hand. She pushed open the door that gave way back into the bar, hastily stalking over to the counter.
"Kiwi, sweetheart, a glass of water, please?" she called out and the colourful bundle of joy immediately replied, "Comin' up, Nyn!" she called back and Janyne was soon server the finest mineral water in the house. Normally, she would object, she didn't want the expensive type. Straight from the tap would've been good enough, but there was work to do and no time for discussion. She bent over the counter top, checking if Foxy left a note for her. She felt the bar's keys being pressed into her hands. Kiwi smiled, "Foxy said to give them to you, and that you would probably have to close up."
The girl paused for a moment before continuing, "Oh and, Gloria left this for you." she said, passing a folded note over the bar's top. Janyne raised an eyebrow in wonder. Gloria? she thought, Who's that?, but discarded the thought a second later. She'd worry about that when Foxy got back. She slipped it in the convenient fold between her bra and top and slipped the keys down her shoe. She'd changed into long boots just for this reason.
The rest of the evening was fairly unfruitful, customers came and went, another song was played by the long-haired soloist that also just came and went. When he needed some cash, he'd pop in if it pleased him. Silent, attractive, but never interested in the squealing ladies that clung to him after a performance. Janyne had given up on trying to get a sensible word out of him. The only information about himself he'd ever shared was that his name was Mos and she'd deemed it a miracle that he'd ever shared even that much.
Instead, she'd made a chat with her fascinating visitor seated at the bar, that as expected had indeed waited for her to finish her work on stage. He shared a few stories of the retarded business people that had come to him for advice and she tried to relate to them. She never ridiculed anyone but instead tried a more realistic approach, reasoning about how those people had grown that unmindful. Best explanation Jynx had come up with for their fortune was that apparently the current market allowed even dimwits to make a profit; Which in turn helped him, as his overly decent (but simple) advice always had a price tag.
Every bit of information he told them had to be weighed carefully, however, for concurrent companies both visited him and if they got air of his double interests, he'd be pretty far from home. For now, however, his 'clients' thought of him as a psychic, as he always gave them the 'best' advice. He was cashing in pretty well.
He didn't stay too long and after he left, the amount of customers quickly decreased - If one sheep crosses the dam, they say. The bar usually closed at one, but Janyne hated kicking people out, so those rare occasions where she got to lock up, she'd just let them leave at their own pace. Kiwi barely had a sense of time anyway, little pile of happiness as she was. She never really seemed to get tired.
After the last person had left, Janyne quickly cleaned up, pulling a wet towel over the tables, mopped the floors and once everything was secured, went to bed. The memory of the note had reappeared in her mind and she was eager to read it. When Kiwi had shoved it her way, there had been a rose with it; One from their own tables, nonetheless and Janyne was... Quite clueless when it came to herself and romance. She said goodnight to Kiwi, went past all doors to double-check if they were locked, and rushed to bed.